


Baby, You're Not Alone

by lovelivesinthedream



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: (not an exo member), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-07
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-04-19 15:30:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4751519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelivesinthedream/pseuds/lovelivesinthedream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jongin thinks he's fine on his own until Yixing shows back up in his life, carrying unanswered questions around his neck like a noose.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Baby, You're Not Alone

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for and posted as part of the Knot of Love exchange on livejournal for zyxisagod.

“Panting after him isn’t going to make him like you, Chanyeol,” Jongdae offers sagely. He settles himself across the table from Jongin and Chanyeol, nodding with his chin toward Kyungsoo’s turned back. “Seriously. I’m rooting for you, man, but Kyungsoo’s one of the last unmated alphas here until the merge happens, and that’s still months away. He can have just about anyone, and you’re not helping yourself by annoying him all the time.” Jongdae waves a spoon around to emphasize his speech, pointing in the direction of the gathered alphas. “Maybe you should try for Nana. She’s totally out of your league, but at least she’s doesn’t seem angry when you get loud.” 

  


Chanyeol guiltily drops his eyes. “I don’t want Kyungsoo because he’s an alpha, Jongdae. I like _him_. Not his status.” He half-heartedly pokes around the beef and broccoli on his plate, looking forlorn and hopeless. His voice is soft and sad. “I don’t mean to bother him.” 

  


Jongin normally likes to stay far away from the complexities of the love-lives of the pack. As someone that prefers to spend most of his days sleeping or dancing, he doesn’t really understand the yearning that the other wolves feel to mate. He thought, maybe, he might have felt the stirrings of the mating itch under his skin once, but that was before he’d hit his full maturity as an omega at 18. By the time he was of age, the wolf he’d been attracted to had already completed the pair-bond and moved away to his mate’s pack. Casual relationships with a hot guy or pretty girl have been on and off, but even years later, Jongin has never felt a scorching need or an aching crush for anyone else, and, for the most part, he’s simply brushed off the feelings he’d had as rampaging teenage hormones. 

  


So he doesn’t understand what his friends are going through, but he _does_ know that Chanyeol’s face looks weird without a smile on his lips. He kicks Jongdae’s foot under the table to make him shut up, earning a surprised shriek from the loud beta in the process. Leaning, he bumps his shoulder against Chanyeol’s companionably, making the taller omega smile softly. 

  


“Don’t worry about it, okay?” Jongin tries, ducking his head to catch Chanyeol’s downcast eyes. “Kyungsoo’s a quiet person. He’s like that with everyone. It doesn’t mean he hates you or anything. Jongdae’s just being difficult because Junmyeon’s playing hard to get.” 

  


“Hey!” Jongdae protests. “It’s because the merge is so far away! With so few unmated alphas here, Junmyeon has this stupid idea that it’s his duty to mate with an omega and have pups.” Jongdae scowls angrily and throws his hands in the air. “We could adopt! There are always pups that need parents! Or surrogates--”

  


Jongdae jumps up from his seat and begins stalking off toward the group of alphas at the other end of the restaurant. Junmyeon sees him coming and throws a panicked look to Jongin and Chanyeol. Jongin winces and shrugs, silently praying for Junmyeon--an angry Jongdae is not easy to deal with. 

  


“That wasn’t very nice, Jonginnie,” Chanyeol says with a soft chuckle. “Jongdae’s going to tear him apart-”

  


Chanyeol abruptly cuts off when a shadow falls over them. Even without looking, they can both tell that it’s Kyungsoo simply by the alpha’s scent. Chanyeol stiffens, every muscle tensing as he tries to stifle his natural reaction. The restraint lasts for only a second before he’s bursting with questions. “Hi! How was your day? Did you manage to finish the report on the sales demographic you were working on? You seemed really frustrated with it yesterday. I can help you if you want. I’m pretty good with numbers. And other things.” At Kyungsoo’s arched eyebrow, Chanyeol blushes, his eyes wide and panicked. “I-I mean I can be useful! Nothing weird!” 

  


Jongin interrupts before Chanyeol embarrasses himself further. “You’re definitely not weird and are full of useful skills. Any alpha would be lucky to have a mate like you.” 

  


Chanyeol turns an even darker shade of red and ducks his head. “ _Subtle_ ,” he whispers sarcastically. 

  


Kyungsoo snorts once, a short, amused sound. He nods in acknowledgement of Jongin, but his main focus is on Chanyeol. He leans close to the tall omega, shoulder brushing Chanyeol’s arm as he stands near and pointedly places two pieces of delicious smelling chicken on the mostly untouched plate of food. When Chanyeol gapes like a fish at the chicken, Kyungsoo flicks him on the ear with a smirk on his handsome face. 

  


“Eat.” 

  


Kyungsoo says that one word and then strides away to place his dirty plate on the counter at the front of the tiny restaurant. He waves goodbye on his way out the door, and Chanyeol is frozen in place the whole time. 

  


Jongin pats Chanyeol’s back in congratulations--feeding an omega is one of the clearest signs an alpha or beta is interested. It’s their natural instinct kicking in to provide for their potential mate. Chanyeol’s smile is very nearly blinding when he finally realizes what just happened. He turns to Jongin with the biggest grin Jongin’s ever seen. 

  


“I’m happy for you,” Jongin says, and he means it. The uncomfortable squirm in his chest is written off as a product of eating too much greasy food. It’s definitely not because he secretly longs for the kind beta that once offered him an apple while wearing a charming dimpled grin. 

 

 

*****

 

 

“I’m so tired,” he barely manages to mumble through a thick yawn. Sweat is beginning to cool along his skin, making his shirt stick to him in unpleasant ways. He stretches and throws his duffle bag in the vague direction of the couch. 

  


“Ouch,” a soft voice yelps. Jongin stumbles in shock as he turns. 

  


Sehun shoves him and rolls his eyes. “You’re so rude. This is why we can’t have nice things.” The beta pushes his way around Jongin’s remarkable statue impression to check on the man on the couch. “Don’t mind Jongin. He’s always a zombie after dance practice. You remember, right?” 

  


“Dancing the way I remember Jongin doing it requires a lot of passion. It’s admirable,” comes the reply. And suddenly Jongin feels like the world has stopped moving, or the carpet’s been pulled out from under his feet. He snaps out of his half-asleep state. Fully alert, he’s able to pick up on the obvious scent of the new-comer, even if it is slightly different from what’s been burned in his memory for years. 

  


“Yixing?” he asks incredulously. 

  


Sehun turns toward him with a guilty expression on his face. “Just give us a minute, please. Jongin and I need to clean up. Make yourself at home, Yixing,” Sehun calls over his shoulder as he hurriedly leads Jongin back to Jongin’s bedroom. Once inside, he closes the door and pushes Jongin to the bed until they’re facing each other. 

  


“I completely forgot to tell you...” he begins, sitting forward earnestly. “Because of the merge, some people don’t have a place to stay yet. Yifan called last week and asked if Yixing could stay with us since Chanyeol’s room is empty now—it’s good timing that he and Kyungsoo finally got together.” 

  


Jongin is confused. Mated pairs don’t live with other pack members. That’s why Chanyeol moved in with Kyungsoo. It’s why Jongdae has been forcing them to help move his things to Junmyeon’s apartment for the last two weeks. It doesn’t make any sense for Yixing to move in with them when he has a –

  


“He’s alone,” Sehun interjects quietly. At Jongin’s blank stare, Sehun leans closer to whisper with a serious frown. “Yifan didn’t explain what happened, said it was Yixing’s business to tell people if he wanted them to know. But his mate’s gone, Jongin. Dead from what little I heard from Luhan. And, Yixing… well, you probably noticed, right? His scent is different now.” 

  


Of course Jongin noticed. The two seconds standing in the same room was enough to realize Yixing no longer has the low, un-invasive scent of a beta like he did when he left with his mate before Jongin turned 18. Now his scent is heady, overwhelmingly clinging and sharp. 

  


Jongin’s eyes widen so far in confusion that they water. “He’s an alpha? That doesn’t make any sense. Yixing couldn’t hurt a fly!” 

  


The only way for a beta or omega to become an alpha is too kill one. The thought of Yixing being able to hurt anyone intentionally is so laughably ridiculous that Jongin nearly slaps Sehun for trying to trick him. 

  


It’s been at least five years since the last time Jongin saw Yixing. Back then, Jongin was 16--an underage omega that liked to spend all his free time after class locked in the dance studio downtown. He’d been too young to join the dance team officially, but the members let him sit in and watch. Sometimes after practice, Taemin and Yixing would stay later to give Jongin the chance to dance with them. On the days when Yixing had to leave first, Taemin would playfully tease Jongin for his obvious crush on the gentle beta. Jongin would blush crimson, avoiding his own reflection in the long and wide studio mirrors until Taemin took pity on him and dropped the subject. 

  


On the days when Taemin had to leave first, Jongin turned into a quiet, hot and bothered mess. Yixing always spent long, painstaking hours teaching Jongin step by step, thrust by thrust. It was both wonderful and torturous. The way he could move his body was sinfully beautiful, each move carefully precise and yet fluid. On top of being, perhaps, the hottest person Jongin had ever seen, Yixing was endlessly patient and kind. When they began staying much later in the evening, Yixing started to come prepared with snacks that he’d offer Jongin with a soft smile on his pale lips. Jongin didn’t really think much of it (Yixing was known to be very generous) until Taemin made a joke about it being courtship behavior when the beta gave Jongin a round, bright red apple. Yixing’s smile had faltered, cracked around the edges, before he checked his phone and made an excuse about having to be somewhere for a family thing. 

  


It was only a few weeks after that when Jongin walked into the studio to discover that Yixing had mated with an alpha and already left to join her pack. 

  


Jongin’s done his very best to put those memories behind him. He’s ashamed of how easily his feelings had been broadcasted for everyone to see back then, especially since Yixing must have already been courting his intended mate. It’s painfully embarrassing to think about. 

  


Regardless, Yixing has always been kind to a fault, and Jongin refuses to believe otherwise. There’s simply _no way_ Yixing killed someone. 

 

 

*****

 

 

“Oh, sorry,” Yixing apologizes quickly, eyes dragging away slowly enough to make Jongin’s skin burn. “I didn’t realize anyone was home.” 

  


That’s most likely a lie. Jongin frowns to himself, tightening the towel around his hips with a firm hand. As an alpha, Yixing’s senses are strong enough to be able to hear someone in the apartment. Even on the off chance that he hadn’t heard Jongin singing off-key to himself in the shower, he couldn’t have missed the sweet omega aroma permeating the air. It’s so ripe these days that Jongin can smell himself. 

  


(Sehun keeps giving him funny looks over breakfast, but so far he’s been kind enough not to point out the obvious cause of Jongin’s hormones changing and stinking up the apartment.) 

  


“I-it’s fine,” he mumbles. An escape plan is already forming in his mind--maybe Chanyeol and Kyungsoo will let him crash at their place again. Their silent disapproval of his avoidance tactics is preferable to having to face the awkwardness of being around Yixing all the time. “I was getting ready to leave anyway.” 

  


Yixing frowns and tilts his head to the side. There’s an impossibly cute pout on his lips that Jongin forces himself to look away from. “Are you mad at me, Jongin?” he asks. “For staying here?” 

  


“No!” Jongin responds too loudly, too quickly. “Uh, I mean, no. Of course not. Just really busy lately, you know? Work and stuff.” 

  


It’s incredibly lame and half-assed as far as excuses go. Lying has always been a skill he’s lacked; his face gives too much away. Yixing sighs, a sad look crossing his face as he’s stepping back to disappear into Chanyeol’s old room. When Jongin walks past, he tries not to listen to the haunting melody Yixing is strumming on a guitar on the other side of the wall. 

 

 

*****

 

 

“I’m not mad at you,” he says quickly before he loses the nerve. Yixing glances up from the laptop perched precariously on his legs from where he’s sitting on the floor near the bookshelf. He’d moved from the couch as soon as Jongin entered the room, instantly giving the omega the empty seat. It was nice of him to do, but Jongin felt like crap. Avoiding Yixing seemed like a good plan, but really, he was just making himself seem like an ass. 

  


Or so Sehun says. The beta isn’t exactly known for being right most of the time, but Junmyeon gave Jongin a very disappointed _look_ last time he went to visit Jongdae. There’s nothing worse than being on the receiving end of Junmyeon’s disappointment. It’s worse than being scolded by his mother. 

  


“It’s a little awkward for me because of…” he trails off, staring at some comedy show on the television instead of Yixing’s inquisitive eyes. “Because of before, I guess. Back at the dance studio.” 

  


His face feels like it’s flaming as Yixing continues to look at him, attention completely focused on Jongin. It’s almost overwhelming. The sudden heat under his skin, the burning in his guts. It’s too much and not enough. It’s even worse than back when he was 16 and dancing beside Yixing nearly every day. How can one look tear him apart like that? 

  


He swallows with a dry mouth, hands shaking as he grips his jeans for something solid to hold on to. “It was a longtime ago. You probably don’t remember, I guess.” 

  


“I could never forget,” Yixing replies quietly. Sadly. Jongin looks, unable to keep his eyes away for a second longer, and his heart speeds recklessly at the sheer volume of emotion on Yixing’s face. He opens his mouth, words bubbling, boiling to spill from his mouth. Confessions he should have made years ago. Yixing’s eyes follow the swipe of his tongue across his bottom lip, and Jongin’s vision goes a little hazy around the edges. 

  


Sehun chooses that moment to drunkenly stumble in the front door with Soojung and Amber crashing into him from behind. By the time Jongin has gotten Sehun standing on wobbling legs again, Yixing is gone. 

 

 

*****

 

 

Jongin groans in annoyance. The phone rings again, for the third time in five minutes, and he finally throws his pillow off his face in order to answer it. “What?” is his grumpy response. 

  


“Do me a favor, please? I’ll owe you one for life!” 

  


Jongin frowns down at his phone. “Yifan? What the hell?” 

  


“I’m sorry for waking you up! I know sleep is like a religious activity for you or something, but this is really important. Help me out, please?” 

  


It’s difficult to ignore his initial response which would be to hang up directly. He _really_ hates to be woken up. There’s a note of dread in Yifan’s tone, though, something that makes him pause and wake enough to listen more closely. He sighs heavily just to make sure it’s clear over the phone-line that he’s irritated. 

  


“What’s the favor?” 

  


Yifan takes a deep breath. Through the phone Jongin can hear footsteps like Yifan’s moving. A door shuts and then Yifan exhales hard. “I need you to check on Yixing. My flight got canceled this morning because of the weather, so I can’t be there for him. He’s going to need someone today, Jongin, and I’m begging you to be that person. Just for today.” He huffs, a sharp nose crackling through the earpiece in the imitation of a laugh. It sounds despondent. “If there was anyone else, I wouldn’t bother you. I know you’re not on the best terms with him-”

  


“I’ll do it. Of course, I’ll do it,” Jongin interrupts. His heart is beating so hard that it aches. He scrambles out from the tangle of his sheets as fast as he can, tripping and landing on the floor with a curse. He hardly knocks before he opens the door to Chanyeol’s old room. 

  


It’s empty like he’d feared it would be the second Yifan mentioned Yixing. The bed is barely disturbed as if nobody had slept in it the night before. Jongin almost falls to his knees with worry. Instead, he grips the phone tightly and demands, “Where is he?” 

 

 

*****

 

 

By the time Jongin reaches the great tree near the river, the sun is high overhead. The light is blinding as it glistens off the fast moving water. When Jongin was younger, his parents banned him from playing near here. The river is too quick and dangerous around these parts. 

  


At the base of the willow tree is a large grey wolf. He doesn’t move as Jongin carefully steps closer, padding across the smooth stones and sparse grass of the riverbank on four legs. His own golden fur is hot and stifling from the exertion of running all the way here. The grey wolf lies facing the water, ears flat and tail drooped low. 

  


When Jongin finally reaches his side and isn’t immediately chased away, he gingerly settles himself close, pressing their flanks together. It’s much closer than they’ve ever been, even back during the days at the dance studio. This time, Jongin doesn’t feel a rush of arousal or lust, though. He simply feels the need to stay, to comfort. 

  


The grey wolf whines once, low and pained deep from his chest, and then nuzzles his snout in the tuft of fur along Jongin’s neck. 

  


Hours pass that way. Jongin stays as still as he can, ignoring the crick in his bones from not moving for so long, and Yixing stays pressed close. They don’t say a single word until the sun begins to set in the west over the crest of the hill across the river. Their tree is bathed in the shadows of sunset. Crickets and frogs begin to make noise. Birds and bats rustle in the trees. 

  


Yixing shuffles away with a soft huff. He shakes himself once, and in the next second he’s sitting on his knees, pale skin turning purple and pink in the twilight. 

  


Jongin carefully keeps his eyes on Yixing’s face. Now is not the time to be distracted by the intricate curves and planes of Yixing’s body. Hesitantly, he changes until he’s sitting beside the alpha. He pulls his knees up to his chest and rests his head on them, waiting quietly until Yixing breaks the silence. 

  


He doesn’t have to wait very long. 

  


“It wasn’t all you back then,” Yixing says as he faces the rushing water. “At the studio. I felt it too.” He shakes his head self-deprecatingly. Jongin scowls because he doesn’t like that look on Yixing’s face, like Yixing is blaming himself for something unforgivable. 

  


And then he realizes what the alpha just said and completely blanks out for a minute. “W-what?” 

  


Yixing looks at him from the corner of his eyes as if it’s hard for him to see Jongin directly. He shrugs. “My family arranged my mate before I was even born, Jongin. I was already promised to somebody else. When Taemin pointed out that I was practically courting you, I knew I had to stop seeing you. My mate might not have been the love of my life, but she deserved better than that.” 

  


“What happened to her?” Jongin asks. He has to force the words past numb lips. He doesn’t expect Yixing to answer. 

  


“We were in a car accident on the way back from visiting her parents. The river flooded onto the road. Not that far from here, really. I lost control of the car.” There’s a tremor to his voice. Tears shine from the corners of his eyes. “She was stuck and scared, begging me to help her out of the car. I wanted to wait for an ambulance, but she _begged_ me, Jongin. She pleaded for me to help her out. When I,” his voice catches, and a tear falls. He tries again, “When I tried to move her, something pulled loose and suddenly there was blood everywhere. She bled out in my arms because I accidentally dislodged a piece of metal that had pierced her chest. I-I killed her.” 

  


Jongin’s throat is thick and clogged with anguish. It’s hard to breathe through the tears pricking at the backs of his eyes. His voice shakes as badly as his trembling hands when he grips Yixing’s wrist. 

  


“It was an accident, Yixing. You didn’t kill anyone. It wasn’t your fault.” 

  
“It was! It was my fault! I should have waited for help!” Yixing shouts. It’s the loudest Jongin has ever heard him. It’s startling. “I’m an alpha now! Everyone knows the only way that can happen!” 

  


Jongin does the only thing he can think of to calm the alpha’s nearly hysterical sobs. It hurts like a knife to the gut to hear the pain in Yixing’s voice. He has to help ease that pain. He _needs_ to help. Jongin wraps his arms around Yixing’s shoulders, pulling the alpha close and holding on tight. He rocks them gently and eventually Yixing breaks down completely, crying helplessly against Jongin’s chest. 

  


The sky turns dark around them. 

 

 

*****

 

 

“Keep your filthy hands off his plate,” Kyungsoo warns threateningly. Jongdae shrinks back with a mockingly shocked face. 

  


“What the hell, Soo? Stop being such a jerk!” Jongdae protests as he reaches for Chanyeol’s food again. He nearly loses a finger when Kyungsoo growls and swings his fork like a weapon. 

  


Chanyeol’s practically glowing beside his alpha. They share a look, and then Kyungsoo nods with a private, pleased curl to his lips. Chanyeol bounces with happiness as he turns to Jongdae and Jongin. “I’m eating for two.” 

  


Jongdae smiles blindingly as he barrels over the table, hugging Chanyeol and playfully slapping Kyungsoo’s arm. “Oh my God! This is so exciting! Congratulations!” he kisses Chanyeol sloppily on the cheek and turns to yell across the room. “Junmyeon! We’re going to be god-parents!” 

  


Kyungsoo frowns swiftly, but Chanyeol calms whatever protests are forming in his mind with a soft nudge and a gentle smile. Jongin nearly melts from how cute they are. Junmyeon hurries over to wrap Jongdae up in a hug and twirl the beta around. He leans close to whisper something in Jongdae’s ear, and whatever it is that he says makes Jongdae laugh loudly. 

  


Jongin doesn’t feel jealous as he watches his friends and their mates. He feels warm and happy, pleased for them. There is a part of him that aches as he watches Chanyeol rest his head on Kyungsoo’s shoulder while the alpha feeds him pieces of meat. A twinge of longing twines and curls up his spine as he sees Jongdae and Junmyeon immersed in their own little world of crinkly eyed smiles. 

  


He _is_ happy for them, but… he can’t help but wish for his own happiness too. 

  


“Did I miss something?” Yixing asks, surprising Jongin as he settles in the chair beside him. Their knees bump under the table, and Yixing doesn’t pull away. Jongin tries not to obsessively focus on the contact. His ears burn, his face most likely giving away the rapid pattern of his beating heart, but he grins anyway. 

  


It’s been a few days since he found out the truth about what happened. Yixing has been kind of distant, and Jongin had no idea how to approach him. It makes something loosen in his chest that Yixing is here, though, making an effort and not avoiding him. 

  


“They’re expecting pups,” he explains. 

  


Yixing grins, dimples lighting up the whole room. “That’s great!” 

  


His smile turns shy as he reaches in the pocket of his hoodie. He looks at Jongin from under his eyelashes, eyes sparkling and beautiful, and there’s the softest, gentlest grin on his lips as he pulls out a bright red apple. “For you.” 

  


Jongin is speechless for all of three seconds. He searches Yixing’s face, looking for any hint of hesitance, afraid to get his hopes up. The only thing he finds is an earnest promise of a happier future. Together. 

  


He bites into the apple without any doubts at all. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I got the idea for a beta or omega killing an alpha to become one from Teen Wolf.


End file.
